Let Me In

Let Me In
Director:  Matt Reeves
Starring: Kodi-Smit McPhee, Chloe Moretz, and Richard Jenkins

In 2008, the foreign film Let The Right One In was released. This film,without question, is a classic and one of the best vampire movies ever made.  If you have not seen it put it on the top of your Netflix queue.  Not surprisingly, Hollywood has made an American version, and I can not help but feel that it is unnecessary.  The 2010 adaptation is set in New Mexico during the early 1980’s.  The story focuses on a young boy who is relentlessly bullied at school.  He finds safety and comfort in his new young neighbor.  Now just because I feel that the film is unnecessary does not mean that it is not a quality production.  Let Me In stands on its own as a dark and beautiful film.

Kodi-Smit McPhee (The Road) plays Owen, a sad boy dealing with the divorce of his parents and daily torments from bullies at school.   Chloe Moretz (Kick Ass) plays Abby.  Owen's new neighbor passes along advice on how to handle bullies, and she just happens to be a vampire.  Abby lives with a man named Father.  It is Oscar Nominee Richard Jenkins' (Eat Pray Love and The Visitor) job to kidnap and murder people so Abby can feed.  This is a classic vampire tale with all the mythology in place, hence the title.  Through Owen’s interaction with Abby he does gain the strength to stand up to the bullies at school.  But must make horrifying choices when faced with the reality of his new friends eating habits.

Matt Reeves recently directed Cloverfield, a monster mash set in New York City.  The film took audiences by storm and earned major buzz for Reeves.  Taking on this remake was no easy task especially when all the internet fanboys thought it was completely pointless.  Reeves, to his credit, did not hold back.  The violence is in your face.  The blood spurts and flows, and in the end we are faced with the uneasy feeling that  Abby’s affections for Owen are not as noble as they seem but a selfish attempt at survival.

fashionadofilm score 7 out of 10
fashionadofilm
Jamie Clemons

If you will indulge me for just a moment I am going to take off my movie critic hat and step up on my soap box.  I could not help but be affected by the sequences involving bullying in this film.  The tragic teenage suicides in recent weeks stemmed from some form of bullying.  Thousands of young people endure vicious physical and emotional attacks on a daily basis.  When I was in junior high and high school it was the mid 1990’s.  I still have vivid memories and can even remember the names of people who made cruel remarks to my face or behind my back. Thankfully, I lived in a Facebookless world, and there were no text messages.  I was able to escape when I went home at the end of the day.  Teens today do not have the opportunity to escape. They are victimized 24/7.  On this Pride weekend in Atlanta, please take time to think about how your actions impact others.  If you witness the mistreatment of someone find the strength to stand up for them and offer your support.  We have  no way to know what the breaking point will be for a victim of bullying.  One small act of compassion could literally save a life.  If you wish that there was something you could do to help, there is...The Trevor Project is a national hot-line available to gay, lesbian, transsexual, bisexual, and questioning youth.  So the next time you head to the movies skip the bag of popcorn and donate $5 to The Trevor Project by texting Trevor to 85944.